Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-30

ton"
Like all enthusiasts, once started on his
hobby, he proceeded to ride it to death.
He explained to me that by our system of
fostering the opium industry in India we
were causing yearly the death and moral
ruin of thousands of intelligent Chinese
He dilated upon the subject for at least an
hour, and then he launched out upon the
destitute condition of the large Chinese
colony at the East End of London tried
to get away several times, but Intellectually.
At last he succeeded in communicating to
me portion very small portion-of his
own enthusiasm. He painted terrible
picture of John Chinaman in London,
homeless, penniless, friendless, hopeless,
possessed body and soul by the opium
fiend, spending his hard-earned coppers in
sordid dens upon the fatal drug, which was
to assuredly repay his infatuation by grad
ually stealing away his health, his brains
and at last his life. He fairly made my
flesh creep.
my dear fellow" he said, there is no
time like the present; come and see for
yourself"
| resisted, but in vain. have said |
am diffident. fear have no strength of
mind. | never can say no. could not
say no to Campbell. 1t was 10 o'clock at
night. He got me down stairs 1t was an
awful night. In 4 hanson cab he dragged
me to the most dreadful of the dreadful
slums OF the East End of London. Such
sordid misery as | saw there had never
even dreamt of
| am not going to infiict upon you a
long description of an opium den that has
been done before by the master-hand, and
has been attempted over and over again by
puny imitators There lay John China
man enjoying his poison. A common
china ink-bottle and bit of bamboo
formed his pipe. The ink-bottle had a
hole in the side, on which the treacly-
looking drug was carefully smeared, then
it was lighted. John smoked few whiffs
in evident ecstacy, and then John died, or
at least appeared to do so. Opium
John was a miserable object he was lean,
sickly-looking, melancholy wight.
" It's very dreadful, isn't t?' said
Campbell. ID mustn't let this opportunity
slip. You are doctor. | want to see
what it's like. 1t isn't mere curiosity |
feel; it's a sort of melancholy duty. Now
you're here, I'll get you to watch over
me-"
OF what new absurdity was Campbell
about to be guilty? 1t was bad enough
that he should bring unpleasant proofs of
his philanthropy to that peaceful place
the Rice and Curry; it was worse that he
should drag me, a professional man, gra-
tuitously-that was the extra sting to it
and in the middle of the night, to an
abominable Chinese den at the East End
of London. But now he put climax to
his wickedness by asking me to watch over
him, as if l were a guardian angel. l
never felt less like a guardian angel in my
life. / was about to Indignantly refuse
| sent away the cab" said Campbell,
coolly.
Horror we were then to stop here
till morning for there was certainly nc
getting away from the place except in a
cab. | had recently seen the Romany
Rye" and the awful horrors of the East
End of London at midnight were fresh in
my mind. Who knows but that / had
been decoyed here by Campbell? He
might be my Legitimate brother, who had
brought me here to murder me, and was
an unarmed mani The remembrance Of
Wilson Barrett's frantic struggles flashed
through me. Alas / had seen for myselt
that the very horrible persons on the
Princess stage were no exaggeration.
was evidently in for it, but l determined
that nothing should decoy me into those
dreadful streets, of which, from our cal
window, | had already seen more than
enough.
But Campbell proceeded to reassure me-
My dear fellow" he said, "you seem I'M
comfortable, but there is nothing to be
alarmed about; all | want you to do is to
look after me professionally. | am about to
make an experiment. by trying for myself
what the much-vaunted delights of opium
smoking really are. These poor fellows, ("
he said, with sympathizing glance at the
disgusting corpse-like objects, who lay
about in every direction, always tell me
that if ] only tried it once, | should do as
they do. feel that could speak to them
with more authority if | had really made
the experiment, and now is my opportu-
nifty. | shall ask our host to supply me
with pipe of his best opium"
He turned to diabolical looking old
Chinaman who sat crouchin@ on the floor,
warming his attenuated timers over an
earthen pot filled with live clarcoal, and adj
dressed him in his native laucuage. | did
not understand what they said; they
smiled, grinned, and gesticulated, and /
saw that 1t was no use to argue with Camp
bell. He deliberately took off his coat
and collar, and undid the top button of his
shirt; then he calmly proceeded to lie
down by the side of one of the revolving
objects on the great wooden bedstead,
which formed the only furniture in the
sordid room.
The Chinaman produced from his breast
a rather more elaborate pipe than those |
had vet seen. 1t was about six inches
long the bowl was formed of a tiny saucer
of silver, the size of shilling. From q
small metal box the old man proceeded to
charge it with opium he then lighted it,
drew it into action with his own disgusting
mouth, and with low obeisance, handed
it to Campbell, who proceeded at once to
inhale the abomination.
In few minutes he dropped of, and the
same idiotic appearance which was con.
spicuous on the faces of the other sleeper.
was visible on my friends face. He snored
heavily. Several times | placed my hand
upon his pulse, but there was nothing tc
alarm me; he simply slept the heavy SLEEP
which is always produced by large dose
of the drug.
There sat till day broke watching the
man. One by one the various sleepers
awakened, shook themselves together, and
without noticing me staggered out of the
room. AT o'clock Campbell came to life
again. He was like half-drunken man,
but in little time he pulled himself to-
gether, and then he sent the Chinaman for
cab. The man was long while gone,
for there are not many cabs, fancy, to be
found at early morning in that part OF
London
:" | can quite understand their infatua-
ton" he said to me, with sigh of regret.
" have been in the seventh heaven" he
continued, as he rubbed his eyes. 1T was
glorious"
Now comes the painful part of my story.
From that moment Campbell became a
confirmed opium-smoker He used to
worry me by the hour with the description
of his horrible pleasures. Day by day
Campbell got thinner, yellower, and more
haggard4ooking. Wugsby, who had long
ago christened him the Heather Chi
nee" declared that his eyes turned up at
the corners, and that he was growing a
pig-tail. That was ridiculous exaggera-